Modern cars are packed with sensors, monitoring the behaviour of the vehicle and improving our driving experience. When something goes wrong, a warning light will illuminate on the dashboard, alerting us to the problem. It’s important to know what the car dashboard warning lights mean because they can pre-empt a car breakdown, potentially saving you from a lot of inconvenience and expensive repair bills.
Ignoring the warning lights could lead to a full-on failure, causing devastating damage to your vehicle. Below we list some of the most important warning lights to look out for and what they mean:
We specialise in ABS repairs. All built units are returned with a Lifetime warranty
This warning light can sometimes be related to a small electrical fault but sometimes it can be a larger mechanical issue. A faulty ECU can also give out false error codes. We recommend getting it diagnosed right away. Ignoring this warning light could cause further and potentially irreparable damage.
Sinspeed offers a cost-effective ECU Repair service for a full range of vehicles.
If this warning light is illuminated, it could mean there is a fault with the airbag system. In the event of a collision, your airbag may not deploy, meaning you and your passengers won’t be as well protected from any potential injuries. Another possibility is your vehicle’s airbag could deploy at any time unexpectedly, causing you potential harm but also, it could put many more lives at risk if it happens whilst you are driving.
Modern vehicles are now turning to EPS (Electric Power Steering) also known as EPAS (Electric Power Assisted Steering), which reduces engine load and makes the vehicle more efficient. When a problem occurs, the vehicles on-board ECUs can pickup on any fault and alert the driver by illuminating the Power Steering Warning Light on the dash.
Electric power steering failure could result in the steering becoming heavy, meaning more effort is required to move the wheels. This can prove to be very difficult on larger vehicles at low speeds and dangerous at higher motorway speeds if you need to make a quick manoeuvre to avoid a collision.
Our team of steering specialists can offer Power Steering Repairs with a Lifetime warranty.
We offer DPF Removal solutions for all vehicles as an off-road service.
If your vehicle has a temperature gauge, anything in the red would indicate the engine is overheating and should be switched off when it is safe to do so to avoid further damage. Failing to act in time may cause the head gasket to fail and repairs will become very expensive.
Oil starvation is a very common reason for engine and turbo damage – so if you see this warning light, stop right away and get it checked out.
The alternator drive belt uses the power from the engine to spin the alternator and commonly it will also run other ancillaries including the power steering pump and water pump. If the drive belt has failed, this could cause multiple issues to arise.
Our cluster repair specialists offer Instrument Cluster Repairs for all vehicles with a Lifetime warranty.
It’s not a game of warning light bingo – if your dashboard is lit up like a Christmas tree or even if there is just one small warning light illuminated, you should get it checked out right away. It might be something small like a blown fuse, faulty sensor or a broken wire but it could also be something more serious and ignoring the problem won’t make it go away – it could cause lasting and expensive damage.
Sinspeed carries the latest dealer-level diagnostic equipment for all makes of vehicles. If the warning light on your car has illuminated, get in touch for a diagnostic session.